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ure, I just didn’t try for very long but that’s because it sucked. That’s because I didn’t feel good doing it. That’s because it was boooooooriiiiing.</p><p id="771d">My brain wants fun. My brain wants interaction and connection with my characters. My brain wants challenges and stimulation. My brain also wants to be told how to do things but it’ll be damned if it’s going to do them <b>THAT</b> way because there must be a better way. <i>eye roll at own brain </i>My brain wants creativity and ideas. OMG, ALL the ideas.</p><h1 id="634e">My neurodivergent writer obstacle</h1><p id="bfb6">Do you know how many books I’ve written? Me neither. Do you know how many books I have edited? A hell of a lot less. Do you know how many books I’ve published? Every single one that I’ve edited.</p><p id="2ac7">Writing is fun. I love it. I love playing with my characters. I love the stories they tell me. I love finding out about them and discovering new things and I love that by discovering new things about them, I discover things about myself (I may have written a few articles on this, haha).</p><div id="9ba9" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/character-reflections-8c44405f5be6"> <div> <div> <h2>Character Reflections</h2> <div><h3>Learning about life through my characters</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*bKna-JMHNXKaYbo87O5aWg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="e64e" type="7">Now, if only I could find a character in my head that was neurotypical and could get the work done that needs to be done to tick all those boxes that are apparently necessary to be successful.</p><p id="40a1">Hell, that’s what I’ve been trying to do for how many years now? Let me think. A bunch.</p><p id="8b9a">Now I know that that’s the problem. I’ve been approaching writing from a neurotypical viewpoint and listening to neurotypical advice. I can’t do that. That’s not how my brain works.</p

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<p id="483d" type="7">I’m neurodivergent. And that means I have to come at it from a neurodivergent point of view.</p><p id="e606">I have to allow my characters to come through in whatever way they decide to and I have to allow them to use my body whatever way they see fit. If Jasper wants to come through and start stimming off his nut, I have to let him. If Ash comes through and balls up his hands and shoves them in his pockets, then that’s what I’m doing. If Bex comes through and folds their arms across their chest to protect themself (<a href="https://readmedium.com/character-reflections-bex-3ee67f310368">a position I’ve recently begun to understand in my connection to them</a>), then so be it.</p><blockquote id="a3df"><p>I’m not a neurotypical writer.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="10c2"><p>So I’m no longer going to try to be one.</p></blockquote><p id="108a" type="7">I’m a neurodivergent writer. It’s much more fun.</p><div id="9043" class="link-block"> 
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WRITING

It’s My Book and I’ll Stim if I Want To

Tales of a NeurodivergentWriter

Photo by Welldon Potroast from Pexels

The only path to success — BLEH!

I know what I’m supposed to do. I’ve been told so many times, what I’m supposed to do.

This is how you make money from writing.

This is how you make money from books.

This is how you do the thing.

Write to market.

Write this many books.

Advertise this way.

Spend money here.

Save money there.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Okay, great. Yay, neurotypical, great plan. My brain ain’t gonna let me do that. That ain’t gonna fly over here. My brain is too busy chatting with my characters to be able to listen to you telling me the steps I need to take to be a so-called successful writer. What does that even mean anyway? Wait — hold that neurotypical response, I have a tune in my head that feels much nicer.

I tried. I know I tried. It might not look like I did, but I did. Ok, sure, I just didn’t try for very long but that’s because it sucked. That’s because I didn’t feel good doing it. That’s because it was boooooooriiiiing.

My brain wants fun. My brain wants interaction and connection with my characters. My brain wants challenges and stimulation. My brain also wants to be told how to do things but it’ll be damned if it’s going to do them THAT way because there must be a better way. *eye roll at own brain* My brain wants creativity and ideas. OMG, ALL the ideas.

My neurodivergent writer obstacle

Do you know how many books I’ve written? Me neither. Do you know how many books I have edited? A hell of a lot less. Do you know how many books I’ve published? Every single one that I’ve edited.

Writing is fun. I love it. I love playing with my characters. I love the stories they tell me. I love finding out about them and discovering new things and I love that by discovering new things about them, I discover things about myself (I may have written a few articles on this, haha).

Now, if only I could find a character in my head that was neurotypical and could get the work done that needs to be done to tick all those boxes that are apparently necessary to be successful.

Hell, that’s what I’ve been trying to do for how many years now? Let me think. A bunch.

Now I know that that’s the problem. I’ve been approaching writing from a neurotypical viewpoint and listening to neurotypical advice. I can’t do that. That’s not how my brain works.

I’m neurodivergent. And that means I have to come at it from a neurodivergent point of view.

I have to allow my characters to come through in whatever way they decide to and I have to allow them to use my body whatever way they see fit. If Jasper wants to come through and start stimming off his nut, I have to let him. If Ash comes through and balls up his hands and shoves them in his pockets, then that’s what I’m doing. If Bex comes through and folds their arms across their chest to protect themself (a position I’ve recently begun to understand in my connection to them), then so be it.

I’m not a neurotypical writer.

So I’m no longer going to try to be one.

I’m a neurodivergent writer. It’s much more fun.

Writing
Neurodiversity
Writer
LGBTQ
Mental Health
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